A Digital Gaming Intervention Combing Multitasking and Alternating Attention for ADHD: A Preliminary Study

Objective. Digital therapeutics are considered as promising alternatives for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We developed a digital intervention combing multitasking and alternating attention, namely DTFAD001. DTFAD001 targets four dimensions of attention control and is designed in a video game-like format. This preliminary study aims to investigate feasibility and efficacy of DTFAD001 in children with ADHD. Methods. 20 eligible patients were randomized 1:1 to receive DTFAD001 or the control (a single task version of DTFAD001). Both groups administrated 4 weeks of intervention with 30 min per day, 5 days per week. The primary outcome was the mean change in TOVA API from pre-intervention to post-intervention. Feasibility was assessed by adverse events, patient compliance, and acceptability. Results. The patients’ mean age was 8.27 years (SD = 0.96), with 15 males and 5 females. The experimental and control group improved TOVA API by 1.38 (SD = 2.25) and 1.31 (SD = 2.46), respectively. There was high compliance with intervention and no serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions. The study verified feasibility and effectiveness of DTFAD001. Further large-scale studies are needed to reveal statistically sound effects and investigate specific benefits from multitask-alternating.